Match-safe.



G. E. BIRKY.

MATCH SAFE.

urmoumn FILED JAN.14, 1909.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909. 7

3:40am to;

attovmu CHRISTINA E. BIRKY, or ALVIN, ILLINOIS.

MATCH-SAFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, race.

Application filed January 14, 1909. Serial No. 472,282.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTINA E. BIRKY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alvin, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Match-Safes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a pocket match safe of that type designed to dispense one match at a time.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction of devices of this character so as to be comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and reliable and convenient in use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a match safe consisting of a body having a filling opening at one end and a discharge opening at the other and equipped with covers adapted to normally close the openings, there being a guide plate or de- Hector in the body for positioning the matches in line with the discharge opening so that by merely inverting the match safe, a match will drop out.

With these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claim appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a front view of the match safe. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof on line 2-2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 33, Fig. 2. Fig. l is a longitudinal section of a modified form of match safe. Fig. 5 is a section on line ww, Fig. at.

oimilar reference characters are employed -to designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the body of the match safe which is preferably constructed of sheet metal in tubular form and relatively flat so as to conveniently fit in the pocket of the user. The top of the body is closed by a top plate 2 which has at one end a central discharge opening 3, while the bottom of the body or casing is formed with a large filling opening I. The top and bottom ends of the casing are closed with capshaped covers 5 and 6 respectively, that are preferably permanently connected with the body or casing 1 by hinges 7 arranged at diagonally opposite points. These covers are held in closed position by providing depres sions or indentations 8 in the flanges 9 of the covers, which depressions are adapted to receive projections 10 in the body 1. Arranged in the body or casing and extending from the top to the bottom is a plate 11 which forms a deflector and the ends of this plate are soldered or otherwise secured to the top plate 2 and bottom plate 12 of the easing. This plate is arranged obliquely to the major axis of the casing, as shown in Fig. 3, with one edge in contact with the side wall of the casing, while the other edge is formed into an arcuate guard 13 which cooperates with the wall of the casing to form a restricted channel or mouth let for guiding one match at a time to a point in line with the discharge opening 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. In the modified construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the cover 6 is of a length substantially coextensive with the filling opening and is secured by the hinge 7 which is located at the bottom of the casing.

In practice, the match safe is inverted and the bottom cover 6 swung open in order to permit the matches to be supplied. The matches are so placed as to lie parallel with each other in vertical position. The bottom cover is then closed so as to retain the matches in place. When it is desired to remove a match, the match safe is turned so that the narrow end thereof where the guide plate or deflector 11 is arranged, will be lowermost. By this means, the matches will feed by gravity into the channel or mouth 14 and the lowermost match will assume a position opposite the opening 3. After this, the match safe is inverted so that the discharge opening 8 will be at the bottom. The top cover 5 is next opened to permit the match to drop out through the discharge opening. It will thus be seen that one match is delivered at a time and that the operation is extremely simple.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is A match safe comprising a body of oblong form in cross section having rounded ends and a flat top and bottom, the latter having a filling opening and the top having a centrally disposed discharge aperture in line with the inner wall at one end of the body, hinged covers fitted to the top and bottom of the body and closing the openings thereof,

' and a plate extending lengthwise of the body and attached at its ends to the top and the bottom thereof and along one edge to a side of the body, said plate being inclined transversely toward an end of the body and terminating centrally thereof and having the opposite edge portion rebent to form with a curved end of the body, a pocket to receive a single match, said pocket being in line With the discharge aperture in the top of the body. 10 In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTINA E. BIRKY. Witnesses ELII-IU BozARTH, BERTHA BOZARTH. 

